Oil-well capper.



LR. LOCK.

OIL WELL GAPPER. APPLICATION FILED MAY 14, 1914 [,1 30,181. Patented Mar. .2, mm.

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J. ft. LOOK. OIL WELL GAPPBR. APPLICATION FILED MAY'M, 1914. I

Patented Mar. 2, 1915.

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1 sely t0 the extern the p 1 is ereof proving 1 and Whici ipe s cupping? (10mm ihi upwardly some distance above the upper faces of the members '3 and 4 for a purpose to be described. The upper face of the capping member formed'by the sections 3 and 4 is provided with a plurality of annular packing grooves 9 adapted to receive suitable packings 10 for forming a fluid tight connection between this clamping portion of the capping member and the hinged portion now to be described. The hinged portion of this capping member comprises a disk-like plate 11 having a central opening 12 adapted to register with the opening hinge knuckle for the swinging or hinged portion of the capping member and which is here shown hingedly mounted on a suitable pintle shown mounted in a slot 15 formed inthe engaging flanges of the members 3 and'4 at one side thereof. A pipe 16 is secured to the plate 11 over the opening 12 therein and has a T-pipe 17 mounted on its free outer end as is shown clearly in Fig. 1. The stem portion 18 of said T-pipe opens laterally and is provided with a gate valve not shown. The outer open end 19 of this pipe 17 is also provided with another gate valve, also not shown and through which the oil is adapted to V hinged portion has been disposed in upright position over the clamping capping memher with the bolts 8 extendinggihrough the apertures 13 therein. After this hinged portion has been swung in upright position as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, suitable nuts .20 are applied to the bolts 8 thereby firmly securing the swinging portion in operative position By arranging the T-pipe 17 on the end of the pipe 16 the oil or gas may be directed either upward through the gate in the end 19 or through the gate in the stem-portion 18 at one side of the pipe, and 'a Y coupling pipe is preferably disposed in the stem 18 of the pipe 17 to enable the flow of oil or gas to be directed through either one Or the other of the two pipes at the side by shutting the gate valve in the upper end 19, of the pipe 17 and thus providing an extra gate at the side for use in case one should become disabled.

In the application of this device, the members 3 and l are first clamped around the pipe 1 in the position shown in Fig. 1 and the hinged portion of the cappingdevice carrying the gate valves is swung .into

operative position by the pulley lines in ordinary use on derricks employed in connection with oil wells and drops down over flow after the the upper end ofthe casing with'th bolts 8 entering the apertures 13 therein. This may be accomplished by men at a point some distance from the well and after said hinged portion has been swung over the clamping capping member, the nuts are then applied to the bolts 8, the packing 10 in the grooves 9 forming a fluid tight connection between the swinging capping me1nher and the clamping capping member. When this hinged portion is in upright position on the clamping capping member, the oil or gas will fiow through the pipes .16 and 17 through either of the gates as may be desired.

In Figs. 5 to 8, another form of capping member is shown adapted for use on a well casing which has no collar or from which the collar has been removed or broken. In this form of the invention, clamping membore 3 and 4:. are employed which are similar to the member 3 and 4: of theother figures except that they have no enlarged portion at the lower end thereof, the bore 12 extending thercthrough being enlarged at its upper end and flared to receive a set of slips 21 which are here shown provided with teeth 22 and are constructed in the form of half circles tapering toward one end and the casing so that when the up- The slot 15 is designed to prevent mg ofthe threads on the bolts 8 permitting the hinged member to be first moved upwardly to the limit of said slot, to position the apertures 13 directly over the bolt ends and then allow it todrop down on said bolts. A

Similarly, when lowering said hinged memher, it is first raised to the limit of the slot 15 to disengage the apertures 13 from the bolts and it is then swung downward into the full line position shown in Fig. 1.

. 'From the above it will be obvious that the capping device is normally in position on the well casing with the inged portion swung down as shown in full a hoisting cable, not shown, being preferably engaged with the hinged portion so that in the event a gusher is struck during the process of drilling, all that is necessary is to connect the cable on said hinged capping member with the hoisting mechanism and pull said member into upright-polines in Fig. 1,

be very quickly adjusted and can be installed and operated by the regular Well member, when the members are in operative position.

3. The combination with the outlet tube of an oil Well, cfa tube engaging capping member havinga longitudinally extending slot at its upper end, a swinging member pivoted to slide in said slot, said members being provided with inter-engaging connecting elements.

a plurality of longitudinally extending bores, bolts extending through said bpres, a

swinging member hinged to said two-part member and provided with a base plate havtube engaging member, said tube engaging member and hinged member being provided "with interlocking elements for securing them? together in operative position, said hinged member comprising a base plate, a pipe mounted thereon, and a T-pipe connected with said first mentioned pipe.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my band in presenceof two subscribing Wit- 4. A Well cappencomprisinga longitudinesses. nally divided two-part capping member JOHN R. LOCK. adapted to encircle a well casing and having l' iitnesses:

DANIEL W. HUGHES, Tizcnnis F. LITAKEB.

crew. ing apertures positioned to register With- I claim as my invention: and engage said bolts. 5 1. The combination with the outlet tube 5. A well capper comprising a longitudiof an oil well, of a tube engaging capping nally divided two-part capping member member, a swinging member hinged to said adapted to encircle a well casing and havtube engaging member, said tube engaging 'ing an annular series of longitudinally :ex- 40 member and hinged member being provided tending bores, bolts extending through said 10 with interlocking elements for securing bores, a swinging member hinged to said them together in operative position. two-part member and provided with a base 2. The combination with the outlet tube plate having an annular series of apertures Kof an oil well, of a tube engaging capping positioned to register'with and engage said member having elements projecting above bolts, nuts for engaging said bolts for lockl itswpper end, a s 'iiwing member hinged ing said members in connected position. v to said tube engaging member and having '6. The combination with the outlet tube aperturesip'ositioned to register with the of an oil well, of a tube engaging capping pmjecting lements on said tube engaging member, a swinging member hinged to said 

